Nunca Olvidar
by Stellar Night
Summary: When Antonio starts his new job at Vargas, there's a man haunted by a terrible tragedy, and it's up to Antonio to heal his heart, and make him forgive. The two now have to deal with all their confusing, conflicting emotions-love, hate, longing, and grief. Human AU; pairings inside.
1. Chapter 1

Antonio sat alone in a corner, tapping his foot to some popular rock song blaring obnoxiously loudly from the speakers above. He should've been looking for a job now, but somehow Francis had persuaded to come to this party.

All of a sudden, his cell phone buzzed. He took it out of his pocket, to see he had a new email from a company he had interviewed for. His breath hitched in his throat, hoping for the best.

But when he opened it, the email stated in ugly, bold text he had been denied. He was still unemployed, living off a small savings account he had put aside for emergencies. He put his phone away, sighing, and trying to resist the urge to punch a hole in the wall next to him.

Antonio looked up to see Francis walking towards him, swaying his hips to impress the ladies at the table next to him. Walking behind Francis was a brunette man Antonio had never seen before. Probably another slut that the Frenchman had picked up.

Francis sat next to Antonio, slinging an arm casually over his shoulder. Antonio shrugged his arm off, not really in the mood to be cheerful; most likely to the most recent let-down. "Who's this?" he asked Francis, tilting his head to the stranger. For some reason, the newcomer had a weird curl sticking right out of his head. It bobbed up and down as the man bounced in his seat.

"I'm Feliciano!" the man introduced himself. "I'm Francis's cousin!"

"You never told me about him," Antonio said to Francis, raising an eyebrow.

Francis shrugged. "He's Italian, and owns an art company."

"Ve! It's really fun!" Feliciano commented. "It's called 'Vargas.' Because that's my last name!"

Antonio gaped. "You work for Vargas? The famous graphic design producer?"

"Uh-huh. I own it! What do you do, Antonio?" Feliciano questioned.

Antonio cringed. Whenever someone asked what his career was, it was humiliating to tell them he was unemployed.

"I don't have a job right now, but I used to work as a waiter. I paint in my free time," he told Feliciano gruffly.

Feliciano's eyes went as wide as saucers. "Ooooh. Sorry."

Antonio waved it away. "It's okay."

At that moment, a blonde woman, with about five pounds of makeup plastered on her face, approached them from the next table over. "Hi, big boy," she said seductively at Francis, winking. "Wanna have some fun?"

Francis was up and upstairs with the girl in a heartbeat.

Feliciano watched him go, then turned back to Antonio. "Guess it's just you and me," he said.

Antonio chuckled. "Yeah. This happens every time I go to a party with your cousin. He's quite the lady-charmer."

"Do you think he's ever truly been in love?" Feli asked Antonio.

Antonio smirked. "I personally think Francis is completely in love with his English coworker, Arthur, but is too prideful to admit it."

The Italian nodded enthusiastically. "Si! Are you in love, Antonio?"

"Nope. I'm still waiting for the right person," Antonio told him.

"Oh. I'm in love! I have a really great, strong, scary German boyfriend! Named Ludwig!"

Antonio smiled. "That's nice."

"Yep!"

And so, the rest of the night went like that. Feliciano and Antonio chatted about love, Feli's art agency, Ludwig, and other random subjects. At Feliciano's request, Antonio showed him pictures of his artwork. At the end of the night, Feliciano took a long look at Antonio.

"You know, we're looking for artists to work for us," he said.

"Well, I wish you luck in finding them."

"I think I just have!"

"...What do you mean?" Antonio asked.

"Antonio, will you work for us?"

Antonio's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe his luck. "You want me...to work for you."

"Of course! You're very nice, you know."

"I'd be glad to! But, just to warn you, I've never done graphic art before."

Feliciano grinned. "I understand! We'll have someone teach you the ways of the trade. It shouldn't be hard. Really, graphic art isn't much different than traditional! You just use your mouse to paint!

After that, Feliciano gave Antonio his business card, with the phone number and the address to the main office of the agency. Antonio put it away safely in his pocket, ordered a drink for him and Feliciano, and the two new buddies drank the night away, celebrating Antonio's new success.

Francis came down a couple hours later, the nameless girl trailing after him. She went back over to her friends, and Francis joined Feliciano and Antonio at their table. "Bonjour."

"Hey, Francis!" Feliciano chirped. He seemed even more excitable when he was slightly drunk, if that was possible. Antonio vaguely wondered how his boyfriend could put up with him. Maybe he was just as cheerful. "Antonio is going to work for 'Vargas!'"

Francis glanced at the Spaniard. "Good for him."

Antonio smiled at him. "It's really a lucky break."

France yawned. "I'm happy for you, being employed and all, but I'm tired and need to go home. See you later, Antonio, Feliciano." He exited the party.

Antonio turned to Feliciano. "I'm going home, too. Need my rest for tomorrow!"

Feliciano walked with him to the door. "Bye, Antonio! See you soon!"

Antonio walked to his car, and drove home, glad he wasn't very drunk. He unlocked the door to his apartment, throwing his jacket onto the couch. He looked around. His apartment wasn't a very nice place to live. It was incredibly cramped, and his neighbors were either drug addicts or assholes. He wasn't allowed to paint the bright pink walls, and the landlord always complained about something or other. He hoped his new job payed well, so he could move out of this grungy hole. He could imagine about his new life, perfect and pristine.

He walked into his bedroom, and got ready for bed. He took the precious business card and put it on his nightstand, next to his old alarm clock, his reading lamp, and his book. Antonio fell asleep dreaming about the life he was about to have.

**A/N: This is my fist true yaoi fic! Yay! It's going to be Spamano. If you will review, I will give you a tomato!**


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Antonio got up early, made himself some coffee and breakfast, and walked out the door. Since the address printed on the business card wasn't very far, he figured he could walk. Besides, exercise was always good.

As he was walking down the busy sidewalks of New York, the sun began to rise over the skyscrapers, and looking down at his watch, he figured he had time to watch it.

It was one of the prettiest sunrises he had seen. There were colors everywhere; blue, pink, purple, orange, yellow, gold. Antonio let his body bask in the sunlight as he starting walking again, hoping the beautiful sunrise was a good luck charm.

It didn't take long for Antonio to reach Vargas's offices. He walked into the building, letting the cool air-conditioning hit his face. The receptionist looked up from her computer, smiling warmly at him. She was a young woman with short gray hair and a very large chest. "Hello. You must be Antonio Carriedo."

Antonio nodded. "That's me!"

"My name is Katyusha Braginski, and you can call me Katyusha. I work for the Vargas brothers."

Antonio blinked. "There's two?"

Katyusha nodded, and a strange expression crossed her face. It looked almost like sadness or regret. She pointed to a door on the right. "Feliciano's in there."

Antonio thanked her, and opened the door. Inside, there was two couches, a microwave, and a television. It looked like some sort of lounging space. Feliciano was sitting on one of the couches, and next to him was a guy who looked almost exactly identical to him, only with slightly darker hair, with his curl on the opposite side of Feliciano's. Antonio figured he must be Feli's brother that Katyusha told him about.

Feliciano looked up when Antonio entered the room. "Antonio! You made it!"

"I did," Antonio assured him.

"Good! I would be really, really sad if you didn't." He pointed to his brother. "This is Lovino."

Lovino turned to glance at Antonio, and Antonio had to clamp a hand over his mouth to keep from gasping. Lovino Vargas had the saddest eyes he had ever seen. They were full of agony, and Antonio could tell he was in a lot of pain, for whatever reason. Those eyes were going to haunt him.

Lovino blinked at him, then looked down at his hands once again, not saying a word.

Feliciano stood up. "Roderich is going to show you how to use the graphic software, and introduce everyone," he told Antonio, walking out the door. Antonio followed.

Feliciano walked to a door down the hall. He knocked twice, and a voice on the other side said, "Come in."

Feliciano breezed into the small office. There was a desk with a high-tech computer on it, and a chair. It wasn't much space, but somehow Roderich had made it feel professional. "Everyone gets their own office," Feliciano explained.

Roderich looked up from painting a desert landscape picture. He had short brown hair, and a beauty mark on the side of his face. "Hello, Feliciano. Is this the newcomer?"

"Yeah! Will you show him around?" Feliciano asked.

Roderich nodded. "I'll be happy to."

Feliciano grinned, then skipped out of the room.

Roderich looked at Antonio. "I'll take you to meet the other artists," he said, standing up. Antonio followed him out.

Roderich introduced him to the other five artists.

The head artist, next to the Vargas brothers, was an asian man with a long ponytail named Wang Yao. Antonio could gather he liked Hello Kitty, judging from the amount of Hello Kitty merchandise scattered around his office.

There was an American artist who was apparently never seen without a hamburger in his hand. "Hey, dude! My name is Alfred F. Jones!" he said to Antonio, while taking a bite of his burger. "This place is really crazy, yo!" The Vargas brothers gave him all the American-style work, because he wasn't very good at anything else, according to Roderich.

The next artist was Finnish, called Tino. He seemed just as light-hearted as Feliciano. (That was probably the reason Feliciano hired him.) When Roderich and Antonio walked in, he was working on a Christmas picture, while on Skype with a man with short hair, glasses, and a thick Swedish accent.

Besides Katyusha, there was only one other woman who worked at Vargas. She was young, Hungarian, and allegedly obsessed with Yaoi, as it became clear by Yaoi posters pasted on her office walls. Antonio didn't mind, though, most likely because he was gay himself. Her name was Elizaveta, and she seemed very nice and motherly, though it seemed she could have a secret side.

Katyusha's brother also worked there, Ivan Braginski, who was Russian and loved vodka. Roderich warned Antonio not to upset him, as he supposedly could be very menacing. "The only reason Feliciano doesn't fire him is because he's too scared to," Roderich told Antonio as soon as they were out of earshot of Ivan.

When Roderich and Antonio finally finished talking to everyone, Roderich showed Antonio his new office. Like all the other artists, he had a desk, computer, filing cabinet, and chair.

Antonio sat down in his chair, spinning it around. "Will you show me how to work the computer?"

"Yes," Roderich promised, turning on the computer. It lit up, showing a background of an Italian flag and several applications.

Roderich showed Antonio how to open the application of the design software. Antonio listened closely, not wanting to miss any important information. Roderich explained to him how to use the different brushes, how to paint onto the screen, how to fill an outline with color, and how to blend for shading. He showed Antonio the odds and the ends of the program for hours, making sure Antonio could repeat what he did, and Antonio was listening, though he always had one thing on his mind. Lovino's sorrowful eyes.

After Roderich was done showing Antonio how to work the program, he leaned back in the chair. "Now you try," he said.

"What should I paint?" Antonio asked.

"Anything you want," Roderich replied.

And so Antonio painted a tomato. He held tomatoes close to his heart, for they were his favorite food, as well as a popular food from his homeland.

Roderich didn't say much as Antonio worked, occasionally pointing out a mistake or giving him a tip. Antonio worked for two whole hours, and when he was done, he thought he did pretty well for his first try.

The edge of Roderich's lip curled up. "Very good."

Antonio beamed. "You like it?"

Roderich nodded. "Just hope the Vargas brothers do, too." He told Antonio to wait, then left his office. A few minutes later, he came back with Feliciano and Lovino.

Feliciano bounded over to the computer. "It's really great, Antonio! If you drew pasta there, it would be even better!"

Lovino gazed at it for a moment. "Do you like tomatoes?" he inquired.

"Si!"

"Then your new nickname is Tomato Bastard," he informed Antonio, before striding out with a frown on his face, and those same gloomy eyes.

Antonio furrowed his brows. "Tomato Bastard? Does he give everyone nicknames like that?"

"He didn't used to," Roderich responded. "But after-" He cut off when Feliciano shot him a look. "Never mind."

All of a sudden, the door clicked open and Antonio's friend Gilbert came in. Antonio blinked at him with confusion. "How do you know I work here?"

"I didn't! The awesome Gilbert came to annoy the prissy Austrian!" Gilbert answered. "I didn't you knew Roderich Edelstein, too!"

"I didn't, up until today," Antonio told him. Gilbert just laughed.

"He's very uptight and proper, and worships the piano like it's a god! Kesesesese! I came to see my girlfriend, Elizaveta, too!"

"Your girlfriend's Elizaveta?"

"Yep!"

"I didn't know that..." Antonio said.

Gilbert just rolled his eyes at him and went back to annoying Roderich.

Antonio said goodbye for the day after that, leaving Roderich and Gilbert to talk, and went home, happy with his new job and coworkers, but mostly wondering what on earth happened to Lovino Vargas.

**A/N: Dun, dun, dun! Lovi makes an appearance! And if you're wondering why Lovino is so depressed, you'll find out in the next chapter. Don't worry. I didn't make him sullen for no reason. **


	3. Chapter 3

Antonio breezed into Vargas's office the next day with a grin on his face. He was positively thrilled about his new job and co-workers. He had been in such a rush that morning, he had forgotten breakfast. This was his dream career, and he couldn't wait to start officially.

Tino entered the lobby shortly after Antonio came in. "Hi, Antonio! Are you ready to start on your first picture?"

"You bet I am!" Antonio exclaimed. Sure, yesterday was fun, but today was the true start of his new profession.

Tino gestured for Antonio to follow him. He walked into his office, and took out a photograph of a man from one of his files, then gave it to Antonio. "This is for a Danish friend of mine," he explained to Antonio. "All you have to do is draw a portrait of this man."

Antonio looked down at the picture in his hand. It was a headshot of a handsome young man, with blond hair that was pulled back on one side with a cross barrette, and dark blue eyes. "Got it," he said.

He walked back to his office, then took a roll of tape from a drawer and taped the photo to a corner of his computer screen. He turned on the computer, opened the graphic software, and got to work.

As Antonio was working fervently, he felt another presence in the room. He rotated his chair around to see Lovino watching him from the doorway. "Hi, Lovino!" he chirped.

Lovino stared at him. "Tino's already giving you work?"

"Mm-hmm!"

"Well, he shouldn't. This is only your second day here, and you need practice, Tomato Bastard," Lovino said sharply, looking angry for some reason.

"Feliciano and Roderich thought I was fine!"

"They're idiots. Both of them."

"You shouldn't talk about your co-workers and your brother like that," Antonio scolded.

"Who gives a shit?"

"I do!"

Lovino shook his head at Antonio, then left his office. Antonio shrugged, confused at Lovino's outburst, and curious about why Lovino was watching him, and continued to work.

Antonio finished the picture of Lukas (he had figured out the man's name because it was written on the back of the photo) around noon. He bounded into Tino's office with a print of the portrait. "I'm done!" he announced. Tino examined the painting for a moment, while Antonio waited for his opinion.

At last, Tino looked up. "It's amazing. It looks just like Lukas!"

"You think so?"

"I do! Maybe you can do a picture of Berwald!"

"Who's Berwald?" Antonio asked.

Tino smiled softly. "My boyfriend."

Antonio cocked his head. It seemed everyone was gay here, including himself "Cool!" He wondered at the back of his mind whether Lovino was gay, then shook the thought out of his head. Why was he wondering that? It didn't matter.

Tino glanced up at the clock hanging from his wall. "It's lunchtime. Did you bring a lunch?"

Antonio shook his head. He didn't know he was supposed to.

"That's quite alright. Feliciano always brings enough pasta to feed the whole world. I'm sure he can spare some for you."

Antonio walked with Tino to the lounge room. Apparently, that was where everyone ate their lunch. When they entered, Feliciano was taking out a gigantic bowl of pasta from the microwave. When he saw Antonio, he grinned and waved him over. "Ludwig's coming to visit today!" he informed Antonio.

"Stupid potato bastard," muttered Lovino. He didn't have a lunch, and for the first time, Antonio noticed he was very thin, maybe even too thin.

The door opened and Gilbert's little brother entered. Feliciano ran over to him and hugged him. "Ve! Ludwig, you came!"

Antonio stared in shock. "Ludwig, you're who Feliciano was talking about?!"

Ludwig looked equally surprised. "Antonio, I had no idea you and Feli worked together."

Antonio smiled. "I guess it is a small world, after all!"

Feliciano grabbed Ludwig's hand and dragged him over to the couch. Seeing Ludwig and Antonio were void of lunches, he gave each of them a serving of spaghetti. Antonio took his gratefully, glad he had something to eat, since he skipped breakfast.

Feliciano, Ludwig, and Antonio made small talk while they ate. Somewhere along the line, Lovino left the room, though Antonio didn't notice.

Feliciano walked Ludwig back to his car, leaving Antonio alone in the lounge. He finished his lunch, and went out to the lobby.

There, curled up in a chair, was Lovino. And he was crying. He was doing it silently, but tears were still dripping down his face all the same. Antonio was shocked. In his lap was a photograph, though Antonio could only guess who was on it, since he couldn't see it from his angle. Antonio slowly approached Lovino from behind. "Lovino? What's wrong?"

Lovino whipped around, wiping the tears away from his eyes. "Nothing, bastard! Can't you just leave a man alone?!"

"It's obviously nothing. You can tell me," Antonio reassured.

"Go away! Didn't you hear me the first time? Leave me alone!"

Antonio refused to budge. "No. Not until you tell me what's bothering you. Tell me why you have sad eyes, and why you're crying."

Lovino stood up, and pushed past Antonio, running to his workspace. He slammed the door and locked it.

Feliciano's voice came from behind Antonio. "You're probably wondering why big brother is so upset, huh?"

Antonio turned around to face him. "Yeah, I am. Will you explain it to me?"

Feliciano nodded. "I will. But not now. Will you meet me at a coffee shop this afternoon?"

Antonio said yes, and Feliciano wrote down the address of where to meet him. "Now, go back to work!" Feliciano told him.

Antonio asked Tino for another picture, and Tino told him to paint a Spanish countryside. "It's for a children's book," he said. "I know you come from Spain, so I thought this would be enjoyable for you. Besides, I've never been to Spain, so you will do a better job than me."

Antonio was thankful that he was able to draw something that was so significant to him. Tino told him it could be in any style he wanted, so Antonio tried painting it in an abstract way. When he showed it to Roderich and Tino, they thought it was excellent.

When work got out, Antonio drove to the coffee shop Feliciano agreed to meet him at. He walked in, spotting Feliciano sitting at a small table near the window. He sat down next to the Italian. "Hola, Feliciano!"

Feliciano gave him a smile. "Ve. Should I start telling you the story?"

"Si."

"When Lovino was growing up, he didn't have many friends. Everyone thought he was grumpy and not very fun to play with. Everyone wanted to play with me." Feliciano sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Lovino was jealous. Even though at first impression, he seemed like a meanie, all he wanted was a friend. One day, in fourth grade, a new student came over from Belgium. Her name was Bella.

"Bella and my brother instantly bonded over their shared European heritage. Both came over to America when they were young, and they would talk together about the culture of Italy and Belgium. They soon became best friends.

"After gaining his first friend, Lovino became more social. Bella taught him how to make friends, and soon he was almost as popular as me. He was the happiest anyone had seen him, and it was all thanks to Bella. Instead of drifting apart in middle school, as many friends do, Bella's and Lovino's friendship didn't. It might of even become stronger, if that was possible.

"Their friendship lasted all through high school, and by the end of their Junior year, they had become more than friends. They had become lovers. Neither of them went to college, instead living in a small apartment together, and going to art school. They shared the same dream. Bella was one of the founders of Vargas. The two were happy as can be.

"Then it happened. A few months ago, on a clear, sunny day, Bella was crossing the street and got hit by a car."

Feliciano was tearing up by then. Antonio's blood ran cold. "Wh-what happened to her?"

Feliciano's lower lip trembled. "She suffered head trauma and went into a coma. The doctors said there was a small chance of her surviving, and Lovino was devastated. He moved back in with me, but still kept the apartment in case Bella woke up. He was there everyday at the hospital, holding her hand, and hoping beyond belief she would be okay. But she wasn't. Bella died three weeks ago."

By that point in the story, Antonio even felt a few tears tracing their way down his cheeks. "Oh my God," he whispered hoarsely. "Poor, poor Lovino."

Feliciano nodded. "Now you know the story. Lovino has been depressed since then. Bella meant everything to him," he said, pulling a photo out of his pocket. He set it down on the table so Antonio could see. "This is Bella."

Bella was grinning wildly in the picture, and her bright green eyes sparkled. She was blonde and looked friendly. Lovino was next to her, also smiling. Antonio felt a pang in his chest. "She's beautiful."

"Lovino sure thought so," Feliciano mumbled. "Sorry, Antonio, but I have to leave. See you tomorrow." He put the photo back in his pocket and left.

Antonio, not in the mood to eat anything after Feliciano's story, left a few minutes after Feliciano.

He wandered around the city for a couple hours, trying to get his mind off Lovino Vargas's own personal tragedy. At last, he went home, wondering if Lovino's heart could ever heal.

As he sat down on his couch, his phone buzzed. "_Sorry for ruining your happy mood," _the text read. It was from Feliciano.

_"Quite alright. Is there anything I can do for Lovino?"_ he texted back.

The next message came a few minutes later. _"No. His heart will never be whole again."_

**A/N: There you have it. Lovino's own tragic love story. Poor Lovi. ;w; Writing this made me sad. Review, please, so you can cheer me up! Whenever I get a review on a story, I freak out from happiness. =D**


	4. Chapter 4

During lunch at work the next day, Feliciano approached Antonio with a smile on his face. "Hey, Antonio! My family is hosting a party, and I was wondering if you wanted to come!"

Antonio blinked a few times. "Uh...why me?"

Feliciano slid onto the couch next to him. "Because, we're friends, right? And friends always invite each other to this kind of thing! Plus, Francis is going to be there! And Lovino! And Ludwig!"

Antonio didn't have the heart to tell Feliciano that bosses usually didn't become best friends with the people they hired, so he decided to say yes. Francis would probably invite him anyway. "Sure, amigo. When is it?"

"Tonight, ve!" Feliciano informed him.

Antonio laughed. "I'll be sure to be there!"

"I can't wait!" Feliciano voiced. "There will be drinking, and dancing, and wine, and most importantly, pasta!"

Antonio mentally chuckled. Feliciano truly had an unhealthy obsession with pasta.

Lovino, hearing Feliciano's and Antonio's conversation, turned around. "Lucky you. You're stuck with my retarded brother, the potato-head, his crazy self-obsessed albino brother, the French rapist, the Hungarian bitch, her prissy Austrian friend, transgender Feliks, and our bullet-happy cousin who's way too overprotective of his little Swiss sister. Oh, and Feliciano invited Katyusha, so her incest-loving sister and Ivan with his three minions will be there, too. Have fun." He spat all this out at high speed.

Antonio raised his eyebrows. "You seem to have a very interesting family. Anyway, I thought you were going too, Lovino."

Lovino let out a growl of frustration. "I don't want to go! Feliciano is making me! He said if I don't go, he'll take away my tomatoes!"

Antonio smirked. It seemed Feliciano did indeed have a darker side.

Lovino's facial expression softened, and he stared off into the distance. "Bella would want me to go," he mumbled. When he saw Antonio smiling sadly at him, his features hardened again. "Not that it matters to you!" he snapped. "I can't believe Feliciano had the guts to tell you about her! He came home last night saying, 'Oh yeah, Lovino. I told the Tomato Bastard all about your personal business!'"

"Ve~" Feliciano uttered. "He asked!"

Lovino glared at him. "You're so annoying sometimes. No, scratch that. You're annoying all the time!"

Feliciano scrunched his nose. "You're funny, Lovino!"

Lovino scowled at Feliciano. Seeing Antonio was still there he retorted, "Get back to work, Tomato Bastard!"

Antonio dashed out of there, not wanting to get Lovino any more flustered. When he shut the door to his workspace, he sat down and rubbed his forehead. He wished Lovino would be friends with him; Antonio only had the Italian's best interest in mind.

He focused on his work for the rest of the day, trying to get his mind off Lovino and the upcoming party.

-O.O-

Feliciano picked up Antonio at eight o'clock. After work that day, he had Antonio write his address down on a little slip of paper. Antonio went downstairs to wait outside his building at seven fifty-five, and soon enough, a stylish Italian car pulled up next to him.

Feliciano waved from the front seat. "Get in, Antonio! We're going to have a great time!" he yelled. Since Ludwig was in the front seat, Antonio got in the back next to Lovino.

Antonio soon realized Feliciano was a very speedy driver. And it was making him sick. Lovino took one look at Antonio's green face and said, "If you know Feliciano well, you get you used to his driving. Unfortunately for you, this is the first time you've been in the same car as him. Oh, and by the way, you look incredibly stupid and seasick right now."

Antonio's stomach was too upset to reply, and he was silent the rest of the ride to Feliciano's grandpa's house.

Feliciano parked, and the four of them walked up to Roma's door. Before Feliciano could knock, though, a blond girl in a pink miniskirt opened the door. "Omigod. This party is, like, totally hipster," the teen said. With a jolt, Antonio realized "she" was actually a "he." This must of been the transgender guy Lovino was talking about.

Feliciano grinned. "Hi, Feliks! Good to see you!"

A young man walked up behind Feliks. "Feliks, why don't you leave them alone?"

Feliks smiled at him. "Toris, baby, I'm totally not bothering them. Feliciano loves me."

Toris grabbed Felik's hand to drag him back into the party, but before they could get down the hall, a camera flash stopped them. Sure enough, Elizaveta was behind it. "You guys are so cute!" she squealed. "Can you kiss for the camera? Kiku would love it!"

Toris opened his mouth to protest, but Feliks grabbed his face and smooched him on the mouth. Toris blushed. "Feliks, I wish you wouldn't do that in public!"

Elizaveta was overflowing with happiness. "Thank you, Feliks!"

Feliks flipped his hair. "It's like, no problem. See you later, Eliza." He disappeared around the corner, Toris jogging after him.

Antonio, Lovino, Ludwig, and Feliciano entered the bustling house, and went into the main room. There were several tables next to the kitchen, and the couches had been pushed against the wall in the living room to make dancing space. There were friends and relatives everywhere, helping in the kitchen, or having a drink on a couch. Antonio instantly felt at home, even though he'd never been there before.

Antonio sat down at a the counter, Lovino sitting next to him. All of a sudden, Ivan ran past them, vodka in hand, and a woman with a bow chasing him and chanting, "Marry me, marry me, marry me!" Antonio blinked. He really was among very strange people.

A man smiled at them from behind the counter. He had a hair curl like Feliciano and Lovino, but instead of one, he had four. "You must be Antonio! I'm Roma," he greeted, shaking Antonio's hand. "Lovino told me all about you, the Tomato Bastard."

Lovino blushed. "I did not! It was Feliciano!"

Roma rolled his eyes. "Do you want a drink, Antonio?"

Antonio nodded. "A sangria, please!" Roma slid said drink to Antonio, and a wine glass to Lovino He walked back into the spacious kitchen, leaving Romano and Antonio alone at the bar with their drinks.

Antonio looked over at Romano, to see him downing his wine. Before Antonio could say anything to Lovino, a blonde gal in a pretty red dress sat between them. "Hello," she said to Antonio. "Who are you? I've never seen you at a party before. Not that I go to many; my dear brother Vash won't let me."

"I'm Antonio. I'm friends with Francis, Feliciano, Gilbert, and Lovino," Antonio answered. "And you?"

The girl smiled sweetly. "Oh, I'm Lilli. Nice to meet you."

"You, too! How old are you, Lilli? You seem to be the youngest person here."

"I'm fourteen," Lilli replied.

"Ah, what a nice age. You are very mature for fourteen," Antonio told her.

Lilli nodded. "That's what everyone tells me. Except for Vash." She giggled. "Vash doesn't understand I'm all grown up now. You see, Vash and I don't live with our parents. They kicked Vash out for being homosexual, and I went with him, so he's very protective of me."

Antonio winced. "That sucks."

Lilli looked up at him with big green eyes. "Yeah, it does," she said softly. "I love Vash very much, so that's why I moved out with him."

Roma walked over to the speakers and put on an upbeat Italian song. Lilli's face brightened. "Oh, I love this song! Would you like to dance, Antonio?"

Antonio grinned at her. "I'd love to!" He grabbed her hand and led her out to the dance floor, where several other people were dancing.

Lilli pointed to a pissed off looking man with a gun at a table. "That's Vash."

"He looks mad," Antonio observed.

Lilli laughed. "He always does! I tell him to cheer up, but he doesn't listen."

Antonio put his arm around Lilli's small waist, and they danced for several songs. Lilli was actually a very good dancer for her age. As they danced, Antonio could've sworn he saw Roderich dancing with Vash, though he didn't say anything to Lilli about it.

After a while, Vash marched over to Lilli, and pulled her away from Antonio, saying she shouldn't be dancing with random strangers. Lilli sent Antonio an apologetic glance, and Antonio waved goodbye to her.

Antonio made his way back to the counter and Lovino. By that time, Lovino had several empty glasses in front of him, and didn't seem to be stopping. Lovino stared at Antonio and hiccuped.

Antonio pulled his glass away from him. "I think you have had enough, Lovino."

Lovino scowled. "Don't tell me what to do, Tomato Bastard!" he slurred. "I'm perfectly sober!"

"No, you're not. Lovino, I know you're still upset about Bella. But stop."

Lovino shook his head. "Do you want to know who reminds me of Bella? Like, a lot?"

Antonio tilted his head. "Who? Is it Feliciano?"

Lovino sneered. "Oh, hell no. Not Feliciano. It's you. The Tomato Bastard." He took another long sip from his drink, which he had managed to get back from Antonio's hands.

Antonio raised his eyebrows. "Is that a good thing? Or a bad thing?"

"A good thing, stupid bastard. Not that I'd ever admit it," Lovino said, obviously quite drunk. "Want to dance, Bella?"

"I'm not Bella," Antonio reminded him.

"Bella, Antonio, it doesn't matter, dammit."

"Are you sure, Lovi?"

Lovino nodded, not even yelling at Antonio for calling him 'Lovi.'

Antonio gave Lovino a small smile. "Alright, just don't freak out tomorrow when you remember all of this."

Lovino was silent as Antonio led him out to the dance floor. They passed Feliciano, who (to nobody's surprise) was pigging out on pasta.

Antonio started dancing with Lovino. Lovino kept tripping over his own feet, and he couldn't dance straight because he was so drunk. Antonio wondered if he was even a good dancer when he wasn't drunk.

Soon, Antonio gave up, and helped Lovino walk back to the counter. He waved at Roma, who came over. "Ah, he's gotten himself drunk again," Roma clucked. "Take him upstairs, and put him in one of the guest bedrooms."

Antonio dragged Lovino upstairs, and opened a door to what he assumed was an empty bedroom, but when he opened the door, Toris and Feliks were making out on the bed. His face flushed, he mumbled an apology, quickly shut the door, and went into the next bedroom, which was thankfully empty.

Antonio carried Lovino to the bed, because Lovino wasn't even sober enough to walk on his own. He laid Lovino down, and turned to leave, but was stopped when Lovino grabbed the back of his shirt. "Say goodnight," Lovino whispered.

Antonio sighed. "You're so cute, Lovino." He hugged Lovino, then let go. "Goodnight." He walked out, and back downstairs.

Feliciano saw Antonio from his table with Ludwig, Gilbert, and Francis. "Antonio, come sit with us, and have some pasta!"

Gilbert grinned. "Yeah, come party with the awesomeness that is me! Kesesesese~"

Antonio sat down next to Gilbert. "Are you guys having fun?" he asked.

Feliciano nodded excitedly. "Ve, oh, yes! Parties are always fun, especially with family and friends!"

"One time, Gilbert decided to make a game to see how many times a person could get away with pulling your curl, and everyone except your brother and I participated. I don't think you thought that was fun," Ludwig said, glaring at Gilbert.

Feliciano blushed. "True, but I had good sex with you afterward! That made up for it!"

It was Ludwig's turn to blush. "Feliciano, that's not an appropriate dinner topic."

"Ve~"

Antonio couldn't help but burst out laughing, along with Gilbert and Francis.

"You two are so amusing!" Gilbert exclaimed. He took a long gulp from his beer, then slammed it down on the table.

The rest of the party went like that. Antonio talked, ate, and drank with everyone there. He met a lot of new people, most of whom were drunk.

He had a great time.

**A/N: So, people. If you're reading this, thank you. It means you've probably read all four chapters, which I appreciate. I made the choice to be home-schooled recently, so I'll have more time to write. Why am I being home-schooled? Well, it's because I'm on the double lung transplant list, and don't have the energy to go to school. It sucks. =/ Again, R & R, please!**


	5. Chapter 5

When Antonio woke up the next day, he head a pounding headache. _"Ugh. I shouldn't have anything to drink last night,"_ he thought, before taking a few aspirin and drinking a glass of water.

Even though he didn't feel his best, he was going to work anyway; he didn't want to let Feliciano down. He could only sympathize with how Lovino felt, because Lovino had a lot more to drink than him.

Antonio looked down at his watch. "Crap, I'm late!" he cried, pulling on clothes, grabbing his keys, and running out the door. He jogged to work, not even stopping to watch the sunrise, like he usually did.

When he came through the lounge door, Feliciano looked up from some papers. "Hi, Antonio! How are you feeling?" He finished writing something on the papers, then put them away in a drawer.

Antonio rubbed his eyes. "I'm fine. Just have a bit of a headache. How's Lovino?" he asked, worried about the older Italian. Despite what Lovino said or felt, Antonio had grown to care for him. If you asked him why, even he wouldn't know the answer.

Feliciano bit his lip. "He couldn't come to work today. He was too hungover. He might come in later, though."

Antonio nodded. "If he doesn't, tell him I said hi," he told him, before leaving Feliciano's office, and going into his own.

In the next few hours, Antonio heard the office staff leave, one by one. Around 2:00 p.m, Feliciano knocked on Antonio's door, emitting a "Ve~"

"Come in!" Antonio called, minimizing his painting. Feliciano walked in, a small smile on his face.

"As you've probably heard, most of the staff is busy today," Feliciano said. "Ivan said something about Russian Roulette, and Elizaveta was talking about a gay bar-I'm not quite sure, though. Well, I'm meeting Ludwig, because this is his day off. You won't be alone in the office, because Lovino is coming in around 2:30 PM. Goodbye, now!" With this, he skipped out the door, leaving Antonio alone in the abandoned office.

When Feliciano left, Antonio went to a website that played free music, and blasted it full volume, to keep him feeling he wasn't all alone.

Antonio was so engrossed in his work, he didn't even notice when Lovino came in. But sure enough, at around 2:30 PM, he heard a faint call, coming through the door, and down the hall, that sounded suspiciously like, "Come help me, bastard!"

Hearing Lovino, Antonio paused his music, and walked down to Lovino's office. He knocked three times on the door, then walked in.

Lovino was leaning back in his chair, feet propped up in the desk, and a tomato in his hand. " I can't turn on the computer. So, you'll do it for me." He didn't move, waiting for Antonio to help him.

_"He's so cute!" _Antonio thought, but quickly shook it out of his head. He leaned over Lovino, pressing the button to turn on the monitor.

He felt Lovino's eyes on him, and when he caught Lovino staring, Lovino looked down, blushing. Feeling awkward, and embarrassed, Antonio turned to leave, but was stopped by Lovino's sudden grip on the back of his shirt. He turned to look at Lovino, his eyes puzzled.

"Don't leave," Lovino muttered. "I'll get lonely if you do. Stay with me, and keep me company."

Antonio smiled warmly, prying Lovino's hands off the fabric of his shirt. "I won't," he promised, sitting in the spare chair Lovino kept in his office.

The rest of the afternoon passed pleasantly, with Antonio happily watching Lovino work, occasionally commenting on how pretty the picture was. Lovino didn't talk much, Antonio noted. He seemed a solitary soul, but that was possibly because of his grief.

At the end of the work day, Lovino saved his picture, turned off the computer, and swiveled in his chair to face Antonio. "You're still here," he noted. "Why?"

Antonio blinked. "...You told me to stay, Lovino."

Lovino raised his eyebrows. "You'll do anything I say?"

Feeling confused, Antonio shrugged. "I was just being nice, is all. Something wrong with that?"

Suddenly, Lovino's features softened. "Thank you," he whispered. "Because nobody else stays." With that, he swiftly left the office, leaving a very baffled Spaniard in his wake.

...O)(O...

A few days later, Antonio came in to work, fully expecting Lovino to be there. Instead, he was greeted by Feliciano, who looked very troubled. He was even more clumsy than usual, and kept running into stuff, then walking off, like nothing happened. On top of that, Lovino was suspiciously missing.

After a couple of hours passed like this, Antonio approached Feliciano. "What's wrong?" he asked. "You're acting stranger that usual today, and Lovino's nowhere to be seen. What's going on, Feliciano?"

Feliciano sighed. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Antonio nodded.

"Today is Bella's and his anniversary. He's upset about that, so I left him at home," Feliciano explained. After he said that, Feliciano looked like an idea popped into his head. "Oh! You could go and cheer him up, Antonio!" he suggested.

Antonio bit his lip. "I'm not sure he'd be too happy to see me."

"Sure he would!" Feliciano assured. "Let me give you our address!" Before Antonio could protest, Feliciano was writing his address on the back on Antonio's hand with a pen, and handed him a shiny metal key.

Antonio walked to his car, and drove to the address, careful to go the right way. When he got to the building, he parked his car, and knocked on the door. When no one answered, he remembered the key, and walked into the house.

Not hearing a sound, Antonio called out Lovino's name, but didn't get an answer. He wandered down the hall, entering a room at random.

The room was obviously not Lovino's, for it was empty. A WW2 poster hung on the wall, and there were pictures of Ludwig and Feliciano all around the room. The bedspread was of an Italian flag, but it had a German pillow on it, and overall, the bedroom was very clean. Feeling like he was intruding on Feliciano's privacy, Antonio left the room, going into the next one.

When Antonio went into the other bedroom, the first thing he saw was Lovino, sitting in the middle of his bed, a shoebox in front of him. Compared to Feliciano's room, Lovino's was very messy, with clothes scattered about. Also, unlike Feliciano's, Lovino's walls were bare, save one small picture of Feliciano and him.

Antonio slowly approached Lovino, who hadn't noticed he was there yet. When Lovino looked up from the shoebox, Antonio could tell he had been crying. "What are you doing here?!" he cried, leaping off the bed. "And how did you get into my house?!"

"Feli sent me," Antonio explained. He sat down next to Lovino, cautious not to upset the brunette. He didn't want a sad _and _angry Italian on his hands.

Lovino didn't scoot away from Antonio, like Antonio thought he would. He grabbed the shoebox, putting it between Antonio and him. "Do you want to see?" he asked, to which Antonio replied yes.

Lovino dumped out the contents of the box onto the bed. Antonio peered at them, and his heart ached at what he saw.

The shoebox was full of pictures. Pictures of Bella. Pictures of summer picnics, of pretty lakes, with a prettier girl smiling at the camera. Pictures of sunlight, starlight, and lovelight. Pictures of goofy Halloween costumes, a trip to Belgium, winter evenings by the fire, skateboarding lessons, and turtles. Pictures of love, memories, and all the good things life has to offer. Pictures that Lovino treasured, as Antonio could tell, because he handled each photo with incredible care.

Antonio and Lovino went through the whole shoebox, and when they were done, Antonio felt like he had known Bella himself. Lovino told a small story with each picture, and Antonio listened for the whole two hours they sat there. After Lovino told the last story, (About a very drunken Gilbert, his pissed off brother, and a stripper pole) he closed the shoebox, and put it away under the bed. He then promptly burst into tears.

Surprised and saddened, Antonio embraced Lovino, trying to comfort him. "Shh. Calm down; everything will be alright." Lovino didn't resist Antonio, resting his head against Antonio's chest.

"Today would be our fifth anniversary," Lovino said, sniffling. "I miss her so much."

"Do you want to know something about grief?" Antonio asked. Lovino nodded, pulling away from Antonio. He was still crying, but silently.

"When you lose someone, you have to forgive them," Antonio said. "Forgive them, and let them go. But don't forget, Lovino. Never forget." He wiped a tear from Lovino's wide, sad eyes. "'Never forget,' in Spanish, is 'nunca olvidar.'"

"Nunca olvidar," Lovino echoed. Standing up, Antonio walked to the kitchen, leaving Lovino alone.

Looking around, Antonio soon found the tomatoes in the fridge. He walked back to Lovino's room, carrying two of them. He handed one to a grateful Lovino, who bit into it.

Antonio spotted a guitar sitting in the corner of Lovino's room. "You play?"

Lovino shook his head. "No. Feliciano had to move it out of his room, to make room for one of Ludwig's guns. Ludwig put it there to be sure Feliciano would have a way to protect himself if anyone broke in. Stupid potato bastard practically lives with anyway; besides, Feliciano can take care of himself." He threw the tomato remains into the garbage.

Not saying anything, Antonio walked over to the guitar, and picked it up. He started playing, "Almost Lover," on it, singing to the tune.

...O)(O...

_"Your fingertips across my skin_

_The palm trees swaying in the wind_

_You sang me Spanish lullabies_

_The sweetest sadness in your eyes, clever trick_

_Well, I'd never want to see you unhappy_

_I though you'd want the same for me_

_Goodbye, my almost lover_

_Goodbye, my hopeless dream_

_I'm trying not to think about you_

_Can't you just let me be?" _

_..._O)(O...

Antonio finished singing, looking up from the guitar. Lovino's lower lip was quivering, and he whispered, "Bella..."

Glancing down at his watch, Antonio saw he had to go, and retrieve his stuff he left at the office. Antonio kissed Lovino's forehead, and felt Lovino shudder beneath his touch. He then left Lovino's house, left Lovino alone in his grief.

_Should've know you'd bring me heartache_

_Almost lovers always_ _do._

_****_**A/N: OMG. Sorry this took so long to update. I sorta had a writer's block, so please forgive me? =3 **

***Flails arms* Please review! And if I don't update again before Halloween, happy Halloween! I'm cosplaying Liechtenstein, and my friend's going as Naruko. =D**

**I now support a new pairing-Italy x China! I was cosplaying Italy at a con, and I kissed a China cosplayer. That con was so much fun...a male Austria made out with a male Jedi, and Prussia kissed Iggy. =D**


	6. Chapter 6

_Brriiinnnggg_

Antonio jumped off the couch, and ran to the phone. He was expecting a relaxing day at home, but that went out the window when the phone decided it wanted to annoy him. Not that he minded-he was sort of lonely.

_Brriiinnnggg_

He grabbed the phone off the hook, bringing it up to his ear. "Hello? Antonio speaking."

"Don't sound so cheerful, bastard!" was the snapping reply from the other end. Antonio didn't even have to ask who it was. He'd know that voice anywhere.

"Lovino? Why did you call? It's certainly a pleasant surprise!" Antonio said.

Antonio could hear Lovino grumble, "Fucking Spaniard," before he said, "Feliciano's at the retarded German's house; to which I objected in my duty as badass big brother; of course he rejected me, and he said I should invite a friend over. And I called you, bastardo," Lovino huffed.

Antonio let a smile slip onto his face. Lovino was just too cute! "I'll be right over!" he chirped. Since Feliciano had written his address a few days ago in permanent marker on Antonio's hand, it still hadn't faded. After saying goodbye to Lovino, he made his way over to the small house.

After ringing the doorbell for a couple of minutes, Lovino finally answered the door, pen in hand. "I've been doing mafia work," he explained, smirking.

Antonio stood still in shock. "...You're...in the mafia...?" he questioned, hoping he hadn't heard Lovino right. The mafia! That was dangerous. A million thoughts ran through Antonio's head, stories of murder, drug dealing, and gangs.

Lovino snorted. "Pffft. No, I'm not in the mafia. I just wanted to screw with your mind."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Antonio walked in, closing the door behind him. "Thank God," he exhaled, flopping down onto the couch. He could of believed Lovino was in the mafia. The man had enough anger in him to pull it of. Maybe not. Antonio thought Lovino secretly had a sweet side, and he was determined to bring it out.

"I did make up a cool name for myself, if I was in the mafia," Lovino told Antonio.

Antonio tilted his head. "What is it? I'd be more than happy to hear your mafia name!"

"Romano," Lovino said, sneering. "It's so kick-ass."

Antonio nodded. "It is! From now on, I'm calling you Romano! It's cute~" he declared cheerfully.

Lovino's eyes widened. "I'm not cute, bastardo! I'm a man, for fucks sake! Men aren't cute!" he sputtered.

Antonio smiled at Lovino, gazing at his face. Lovino _was_ cute, with his slightly tanned skin, bright and shiny hazel eyes, and that single hair curl that never laid flat. Antonio thought Lovino was the cutest thing in the whole wide world, and Lovino deserved to know that. Antonio wanted Lovino, and he was going to get what he wanted. In the form of a certain grumpy Italian.

"You are, Lovino. You're beautiful."

Lovino blushed even worse, as red as a tomato. "Boys can't be beautiful..." he mumbled. "Stop calling me those cute pet names! Who do you think you are?!"

"Your best friend!" Antonio said, grabbing Lovino around the waist, and pulling him close. Lovino struggled to wiggle out of Antonio's grasp, but fortunately for Antonio, he was much weaker than Antonio. Antonio secretly thanked all the strength training from the gym.

"Let me go!" Lovino exclaimed. "I'm not your boyfriend or something!"

"Ah, but you should be!" Antonio stated, not releasing him. Then, he realized what he just said. _Shit. _He just revealed what his feelings for Lovino were, without planning to.

Lovino went slack, not squirming around anymore. "...What?!"

Antonio felt his mouth go dry. Out of the blue, he really wished he had the ability to see inside Lovino's mind. Alas, that was never going to happen. "Uh."

"What makes you think I'm gay?!" Lovino demanded.

Antonio still trouble forming words. "Um...I don't know...I just assumed?" he almost pleaded, wincing.

"I'm obviously not gay-I had a loving girlfriend, remember?!" Lovino reminded Antonio.

"Yeah, I suppose..." Antonio said.

"But I am bisexual," Lovino informed Antonio. "Not that it matters, bastard, so don't get any wrong ideas! I'm not going to be your boyfriend!"

Antonio's heart lifted, and sank, at the same time. He was happy that Lovino was interested in men, (Even though he wasn't gay) but he was miserable because Lovino explicitly said he was not going to date Antonio.

Antonio let go of the still struggling, cursing Italian reluctantly, but not before giving a sneaky kiss to Lovino's cheek, angering him even more, and causing Lovino to kick him in the shin.

After he had calmed down somewhat, Lovino told Antonio to follow him outside, so Antonio did what he said, getting off the old, leather couch. Lovino opened the frosted glass sliding door, showing a wood porch. The porch looked beautiful; there was a couch covered in tomato print fabric, and there were two red chairs, too. An artist's easel stood in one corner, and it had a half done painting of a particular blond German in all his glory on it. "Let me guess. Your brother painted that?"

Lovino puffed out his cheeks. He obviously didn't approve of the painting. "Of course he did. Do you think I'd ever paint a guy so ugly? When hell freezes over!"

Antonio peered at it. "Do you think you could ever paint me, Lovino?"

A strange, unreadable expression came onto Lovino's face. "Maybe one day, Antonio. Maybe one day." He passed the couch, running down the stairs, and into the garden.

Antonio's face lit up in wonder when he saw the garden. It had a mystical feeling, with all the different shades of flowers, the tall trees blocking out most of the sunlight, and a little dirt trail leading into the forest behind the Vargas's house. There was a stone fountain in the middle, of a Roman woman, holding a basket of fruit and flowers. Antonio pulled out a shiny coin from his pocket, and tossed it into the fountain, listening to the "plink" it made when it hit the bottom.

Antonio plucked a white rose from the bush next to him. Instead of giving it to Lovino, he reached up, and tucked it behind Lovino's blushing ear.

"Why are you putting a rose in my hair?!" was the response.

"Because it's adorable!" Antonio replied, grabbing Lovino's hand and twirling him around.

Lovino pushed Antonio away. "I will kill you one day, Antonio, I swear."

Antonio grinned. "No you won't, mi tomate!"

Lovino gritted his teeth. "WHAT'S UP WITH THE NICKNAMES!?"

"They're cute," Antonio reasoned. He knew it was an invalid argument; Lovino was too stubborn.

"ARGH," Lovino exclaimed. "Tomato _and_ rose bastard!" The Italian lightly punched Antonio in the arm, storming off, into the forest.

Antonio closely followed, curious to where Lovino was heading. Lovino ran through the woods, kicking off his shoes in the process, so he was barefoot on the trail. Antonio jogged after him, laughing quietly.

After a few minutes of racing through the forest, Lovino turned a bend, and Antonio came face to face with a giant maple tree. The tree was gnarled, and it looked like it had been there since the beginning of time, yet it was mysteriously beautiful, in it's own way. The branches grew in a way that looked like a unique piece of art, dancing around each-other, reaching to the sky.

There was a rope ladder dangling in front of him, and when Antonio's eyes followed up to where it led, there was a wooden treehouse at the top of the tree.

Brushing past Antonio, Lovino started climbing the ladder. He looked down at Antonio, with a look that said to follow him.

Antonio quickly grabbed hold of the swinging rope. He hoisted himself up onto it, not fazed when it swung with his weight. Climbing it, he pulled himself through the trapdoor, and into the treehouse.

Lovino sat cross-legged in the middle of the wooden floor. Taped to the walls were many pencil drawings, each as unique as the last. Antonio spotted a drawing of a cowboy riding a horse, next to a sketch of Feliciano as a child, grinning and waving. All the pictures seemed to be drawn by Lovino, judging by the name in all the signatures. Old, dusty books were scattered throughout the room, and a drawing pad was laying in one corner, on top of a wooden crate. Since the ceiling was mostly covered, and there were no windows, the treehouse was dim, save one hole in the ceiling. The single beam of afternoon sunlight coming in through the hole lit up Lovino, like it was his own personal spotlight.

Antonio sat next to Lovino, peering up at the single blue patch of sky through the hole. "What is this place?" he asked in wonder.

"My grandfather built it when Feliciano and I were children. We used to come here all the time. It was our own personal recluse, cut off from the rest of the world. But as we grew older, time passed, and Feliciano forgot about this old treehouse. I never did, though. I would come here when I was upset, angry, whatever. It's used only by me now," Lovino explained. He laid down on the hard floor, and his dark hair fanned around him.

Antonio laid next to him. "It's amazing," he told Lovino. "Do you come here often?"

Lovino closed his hazel eyes. "I haven't come here since Bella died," he admitted to Antonio. "On the day she did, I spent the night here."

"Oh..." Antonio propped himself onto one elbow. "Lovino, we have all day. Tell me about yourself."

"What, are you interrogating me?! Bastard!" Lovino accused.

"No, I just want to get to know you."

"Do I have to tell you?"

"Yes."

So Lovino did. He told Antonio his favorite color, (Red) his favorite animal, (Tomato. According to Lovino, it counted) his favorite sport, (Soccer) and his favorite movie (Some Italian film, with a name Antonio couldn't pronounce if his life depended on it). Over the course of the afternoon, Antonio knew everything there was to know about Lovino Vargas, and Lovino knew all about Antonio. And Antonio fell more and more in love with Lovino each and every second.

The two opened a window Antonio hadn't previously noticed, and they watched the sunset together. Leaning back on the wall of the barn, his legs stretched in front of him, Lovino sitting next to him, looking out at the fiery sky, Antonio was the happiest he'd ever been.

"It sure is pretty," Antonio sighed.

"Hmph. Si, bastard," Lovino agreed.

At that moment, Antonio felt like he had to take a risk. One that could cost him. He leaned over, and kissed Lovino full on the lips.

Lovino didn't pull away and smack Antonio, like the Spaniard thought he would. No, he didn't. He leaned into the kiss, letting Antonio wrap his arms around his waist, and pull him close.

The kiss was perfect for both of them. They had been wanting it for a long time, and when it finally happened, it was like sparks flew. It was pure bliss. Pure, amazing, loving, true to god bliss.

Antonio finally pulled away when he was running out of air. He traced a finger over Lovino's pink-tinged cheeks. "Guess you don't hate me after all," he muttered.

Lovino scowled, but it was a cute scowl. "B-bastard...taking advantage of me like that..."

"You loved it."

"Hmph. Idiot."

Antonio chuckled. He looked out the window once more. "It's getting dark out," he observed. He tugged his gaze away when he heard Lovino making a ruckus.

Lovino was leaning over the crate, sorting through it. After a second, he pulled out a blanket, and a long pillow. "We'll sleep here," he told Antonio. He spread out the blanket on the floor.

His stomach rumbling, Antonio crawled over to Lovino. "I'm hungry, though."

Lovino reached back into the crate. He grabbed a pack of crackers, and threw it at Antonio. "These aren't very old." He also took out a bottle of red wine.

Antonio opened the crackers. They didn't seem _that_ stale. He chuckled. "I suppose this works."

Shaking his head, Lovino also took out a flashlight, and put it on the floor, lighting up the darkening treehouse a bit. He then made his way over to Antonio.

Antonio and Lovino slowly finished off the crackers, while passing the bottle of wine between them. Soon, that was finished, too. The two talked late into the night, the food long gone. Antonio showed Lovino all the star constellations he knew, and in exchange, Lovino told him stories of Feliciano, Bella, and days long gone.

They kissed, too. Not often; only two times the whole night; but they were perfect, secret, stolen moments. To tell the truth, Antonio thought the whole night was perfect, secret, and stolen.

Around midnight, Antonio checked his watch and yawned. "Should we go to bed, Lovi?"

Lovino nodded, laying down on the blanket. Since it was a summer night, the two didn't need sheets or a quilt.

Antonio laid next to him. He switched off the flashlight, sending the treehouse into pitch blackness. He pulled Lovino close, resting his head on Lovino's hair. Antonio felt Lovino subtly melt into his grasp, and slipped into peaceful sleep like that.

The next morning, Antonio woke up much past the time he would usually. Thank god it was Sunday. Smiling, he stared at the sleeping Italian in his arms. Careful not to wake Lovino, he quietly climbed down the ladder. After searching for a few minutes, he found a few vines, with which he made a crown of sorts. He ran back to the treehouse, and when he climbed up, he saw Lovino looking around in confusion. Lovino's eyes landed on Antonio. "There you are, bastard! I was wondering where the hell you went."

Antonio placed the ivy crown on Lovino's head. Lovino didn't pull it off, but he told Antonio that was only because he being nice, dammit!

"Did you know we spent twelve hours up here, talking?" Antonio informed Lovino, effectively cutting him off.

Lovino furrowed his eyebrows. "No way."

"Yes way."

Lovino started climbing down the ladder, and Antonio followed him. They walked back to Feliciano's house, and when they got there, Feliciano ran out of the house. "Ve~ Did you and Antonio spend the night at the treehouse?" Antonio nodded.

Feliciano giggled. "Me and Ludwig had the whole night to ourselves~ We had a lot of fun~"

Lovino eye's widened. "He's a _fucking, kinky, potato_ bastard!"

Feliciano shook his head. "He's really nice!"

Lovino growled. "We have to go to church, Feliciano. Maybe you'll be able to purify yourself from the German. Are you ready?"

"Yep!"

Lovino turned to Antonio. "Bye, bastard," he mumbled. Antonio waved goodbye to them, turning around as they drove away.

Over the next two weeks, Antonio and Lovino became closer than ever. One of them would call the other, and they would hang out for hours, wasting the time away. Well, not wasting-those hours were the best of Antonio's life. Neither of them said it, but they even went on a few dates. Most 'friends' wouldn't kiss each other every once in a while.

Antonio wondered if Lovino felt the same way he did about Lovino, but over the course of those weeks, it became apparent that he did. Antonio might if secretly known that since the night in the treehouse. But who cared? Antonio fell harder for Lovino than he had ever fallen for anyone else. At first, Antonio thought Lovino was somewhat cruel and tough, but he soon realized that Lovino put it on as an act. An act to hide his true feelings about the world. He could tell Lovino cared, by the way Lovino would always save the best tomato for him, or the way he smiled at Antonio when he thought Antonio wasn't looking.

After the two said goodbye one night, (They had gone to some popular blockbuster movie) Antonio watched Lovino leave, a giant smile on his face. Little did he know, he would receive a life-changing call just a few hours later.

**A/N: My longest chapter! ^.^ Hope you like this. I was hoping to surpass ten thousand words, and I did! This will be my last update before Halloween, so happy Halloween, dear reader. =D**

**I have bad news...one of my friends (she's not close to me, we don't talk, but still) had complications during back surgery, and is on bypass. She might not make it, and I'm worried. We know each other because we have the same rare lung disease. We met at it's conference and hung out there. **

**Don't forget to review, my lovelies. I did promise a tomato to every person that reviewed, didn't I? I'll all give you tomatoes at the end of the story, aru!**


	7. Chapter 7

Antonio clutched his stomach, feeling sick. His head spun with all his loose thoughts, and his heart hammered in his chest. This couldn't be happening! Why him? Why now? Of course, when he was happy the first time in his life, life had to be cruel.

He looked down at his phone once more, taking a shaky breath. Never had he imagined this coming.

_"You have to come back to Spain immediately. Your mother's heart is failing, and she needs a heart transplant. I'm sorry, son."_

The memory of the phone call came flooding back into his thoughts. No! The wait for a heart transplant could take years, and he needed to see Lovino again!

_"I've arranged for a plane to take you home in an hour. You don't even have to pack a bag-I have old things of yours here."_

An hour? He had to say goodbye! Sighing, Antonio looked out the window, where the sun was almost set, and rain poured down in sheets. Yet, Antonio knew the right thing to do was follow his father's instructions. One day, he was going to come back to America. And he was going to marry Lovino, whether the Italian wanted to or not.

With that thought in mind, Antonio ran out of his apartment, only taking one thing. He had planned on giving it as a gift to Lovino, but that was going to have to wait till the future.

Antonio briskly walked out the door of the lobby, into the rain, and bumped into the one person he was going to miss most.

Lovino Vargas.

"Watch where you're going, bastard, I'm here to visit my-" started Lovino, scowling, but his features softened when he saw Antonio was the one he hit. "I was on my way to see you, idiot!"

"Lovi, I have to talk to you!" Antonio cried, pulling Lovino into the alleyway next to his building. He embraced Lovino, pulling him close to his chest.

Lovino blushed. "What is it?! You're acting like you're not ever going to see me again!"

"I'm not. Well, at least, not for a few years."

Lovino froze. "...What?" he said, his voice high-pitched and shaky. "What did you say?"

"Look, Lovino. I have to travel back to Spain. I have to go-I'll call you later, okay?"

Lovino grabbed onto Antonio's shirt. "Don't leave, bastard! Don't leave me like Bella did!"

Antonio's lower lip trembled. "I wouldn't if I had a choice, mi tomato." He pulled something out of his pocket, and gave it to Lovino. "Oh, I almost forgot! This is for you!"

It was a silver rectangular locket, on a thick chain. Inside, there was a picture of Bella. She was smiling sweetly at the camera. In the background was the green sea, matching her sparkling eyes. On the back, were the sweet, engraved words of remembrance. Nunca Olvidar, it said.

Lovino stared at the locket, his eyes wide. "Thank you." He put the locket around his neck, and in one smooth move, kissed Antonio.

The kiss wasn't like their others. Sure, those were great, but this one was the best one. It was tasted purely of love, not lust or longing.

Lovino softly pulled away, tears in his eyes. He pulled a small picture of Antonio out of his pocket. He then proceeded to put it on the other side of the locket.

Antonio started backing away from him. "Goodbye, Lovino. I will see you again one day. I promise."

And with those words, Antonio Carriedo disappeared into the night.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo 

Antonio threw his phone at the wall in frustration. Why wasn't Lovino picking up? Surely he would, if he could. Two weeks had passed, and Lovino hadn't answered any of his texts or phone calls. All the Spaniard ever wanted was to talk to Lovino again. Was that so hard to ask?

Breathing hard, Antonio looked down at his phone on the floor. When he picked it up, and pressed a button, the phone lit up, letting Antonio know it had survived the impact.

"Antonio? Come in here," his mother called, breaking Antonio away from his thoughts.

Tucking his phone into his pocket, Antonio hurried into his sick mom's bedroom. "Yes, mom?" His mom was sitting up in bed, propped up by a pillow. She was gazing out the window, probably remembering days when she could go out and enjoy the sun. When Antonio came in, she turned her head towards him, her expression full of warmth.

"Tell me, Toni. Did you fall in love with someone while you were in America?"

Antonio hesitated, wondering if he should tell his mother about Lovino. He gave in, nodding. "Yes, I did. His name was Lovino Romano Vargas."

"He?"

"Yes, mom. Lovino's a man."

"Oh, okay. Go on."

"Well, he loves tomatoes..."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo 

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Lovino growled in frustration. "There's not _anything_ you can do?" he snapped at the AT&T salesman. "You have to save my fucking phone!"

"I'm sorry, sir, but when you dropped it in that puddle, it broke for good."

Lovino paled. He had all his contacts on that phone-including Antonio's. Now he had no way to contact Antonio! And he wouldn't be seeing him for a long time...

Nodding harshly, Lovino stepped out of the store, clutching his locket in his hand. He pressed the button on the side, and the locket clicked opened, revealing Antonio's and Bella's faces. Feeling tears prick at his eyes, he quickly snapped the locket closed, walking home to Feliciano.

Lovino loved Antonio. He didn't understand, but Antonio lit up his world so much. Just like Bella had done. And now they were both gone. Although Antonio did promise he would come back one day, and Lovino was going to hold on to that promise like a lifeline.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo 

**Two years later:**

Antonio's heart soared in his chest. His mom was going to get a heart transplant-the lungs had come earlier that day. His dad rushed his mom and Antonio to the hospital. When they got there, the doctors wasted no time in prepping her. Soon enough, it was time for her to get the operation.

Antonio hugged her. "You'll be fine, and I'll see you later, okay?" Mrs. Carriedo nodded, and the doctors whisked her away.

Antonio and his father sat in the waiting room for seven hours before the surgeon came in. "The surgery went well. After she spends a week or two here, she'll be ready to go home." Antonio translated his words into, _"You'll be able to see that Italian you love so much in just a couple weeks!"_

Standing up, Antonio asked, "When we be able to see her?"

"In just an hour or so," the doctor replied. He turned on his heel, and clacked out of the room.

Mr. Carriedo embraced his son, smiling. "She's alright!" he cried.

Antonio nodded. "And I'll be able to see Lovi again soon!"

"Si, son!"

An hour later, Antonio and his dad went into Antonio's mother's room. She was still fast asleep, a venting tube down her throat. Tubes stuck out of her at all different angles, but Antonio knew she was going to be fine. Antonio took her hand, smiling.

Over the next twelve days, Mrs. Carriedo recovered quickly. Soon, she could walk again, and Antonio had never seen her more cheerful. She was released, and on the drive home, Antonio broke his news.

"I'm going back to America," he announced.

His father turned in his seat to look at Antonio. "When?!"

"As soon as possible."

Sighing, his mother bit his lip. "Alright. Will you keep in touch?"

"Of course I will!"

Reluctantly, his parents dropped Antonio off at the airport. He bought a last minute ticket, excited for the journey that would follow. He was going to see Lovino in just a little while.

Antonio slept almost the whole plane ride, dreaming of Lovino.

When the plane ride was over, Antonio hailed a taxi. He told the taxi driver Lovino's address (he had memorized it) and the driver nodded, silently taking Antonio where he wanted to go.

Antonio thanked the driver, giving him some change. A teenage girl passed in front of Lovino's house, with short brown hair, a sweatshirt and jeans. She was humming some classical tune, and smiled at Antonio when she saw him.

Antonio lifted a hand in response, then ran up to Lovino's door. He knocked twice, holding his breath. He had been waiting for this moment for two whole years, and his heart hammered in his chest.

Feliciano opened the door, looking surprised. "Antonio! You're back! Lovino said you went to Spain, but he didn't know why, and then he dropped his phone in a puddle! He was so sad, ve!"

So that was why Lovino never contacted him. Antonio let out a breath. "I'm sorry. Look, where's Lovino?"

"I think he's in the treehouse!"

Without another word to Feliciano, Antonio started running towards the treehouse, sprinting as fast as he could. Lovino was so close, so very close.

In a couple minutes, Antonio saw the treehouse. He started climbing the ladder, his hands shaking with anticipation. He almost fell off the ladder twice. Sticking his through the trapdoor, his world stopped.

Lovino.

He was there.

Lovino was staring at some kind of canvas, though Antonio could only guess what was on it, because he couldn't see it from his angle.

Oh, God.

**He was there.**

The brunette looked up, and he had to grab onto the old crate to keep himself from falling over. "Antonio?!"

"I'm back, Lovino! Oh jeez, I'm back!" Antonio sobbed, capturing Lovino in a bone crushing hug. "I missed you so, so much!"

Lovino laid his head on Antonio's chest. "I missed you, too, bastard!"

Antonio broke away, wiping a tear from his eye. He looked at the canvas, and his heart stopped once more.

Lovino had painted him. And it was the most stunning and magnificent thing Antonio had ever laid eyes on.

The picture was of Antonio standing in a field full of daisies, the bright blue sky stretching endlessly behind him. He was looking away from the focus, most likely at Lovino, because this Antonio was grinning. In one hand was a tomato, and Lovino had painted it so it looked like there was a slight breeze lifting up his hair. It was amazing, like the details on the flowers, or the colors of the bird that flitted above Antonio's head.

Antonio turned to Lovino, and captured his lips in a chaste, long overdue kiss. Lovino complied, wrapping his arms around Antonio's shoulders.

As the kiss deepened, Antonio found himself on top of Lovino. Lovino started undoing the buttons on his shirt, looking up at Antonio with dark eyes. "Are you sure you want this?" Antonio asked, when they were both shirtless.

Lovino nodded. "As sure as I'll ever be." Antonio smiled, and caught him in a kiss once more.

**A/N: This isn't over, don't worry. I'll do at least one more chapter. And for those of you that were hoping for smut, I'm very sorry. I don't write smut, and probably won't be for a very long time. Again, sorry for the wait for the update.**

**You know the friend I told you about? The one in the hospital? Well, she died yesterday...I'm very sad, but I'll live my life in the fullest way possible, in honor of her memory.**

**Thank you so much for all of your support! You guys can't even begin to realize how much I appreciate it. Review, please!**

**R.I.P, Rayni. This fic is dedicated to you, even though you probably had no clue what Hetalia was.**


	8. Chapter 8

For the second time in his life, Antonio woke up holding his love in his arms. It truly was the best feeling in the world, seeing Lovino snuggled up and sleeping like and angel next to him. Everything about him was intoxicating-the way his face turned red when he was embarrassed, the color of his silky hair, and the way he made love. Antonio had had discovered the latter only last night, in an act of passion. It had been amazing, fueled by desire, with sweet nothings whispered into ears. How could one person turn his life upside-down? Because Lovino had done just that. Two years apart from him had been hell, but all was too stunning now they could see, hear, and feel each other for the first time in ages.

Antonio let let Lovino sleep, looking out the window. Overnight, it had snowed, and as far as Antonio could see, there were snow covered treetops. A shining blue icicle on a nearby tree caught Antonio's eye, as well as a fluffy rabbit standing in a small clearing. Antonio pulled the blanket up onto his chest, glad they had a blanket in the cold. A few minutes later, Lovino stirred, and his eyes cracked open. He lifted a hand up to his head to shield his eyes from the bright morning sunlight.

"My butt hurts."

Antonio laughed, a clear and pleasant sound ringing through the treehouse. Lovino was just so blunt, and that was one of the many things Antonio loved about him. "I'm sorry, Roma! I tried to be gentle," he told Lovino, pulling him close.

"Hmph," Lovino said, then looked out the window for the first time. "There was quite a storm, wasn't there? I blame you, Tomato Bastard."

"Storm Antonio, huh? I like it," Antonio replied. "But there should be a storm Lovino to go along with it."

Lovino rolled his eyes, sitting up and stretching. The way the sunlight hit him, he looked like a god, bathing in his glory. Antonio thought that was pretty hot. "Should we go back to the house?" Antonio asked.

Hazel eyes met green. "Yes," Lovino said, throwing the blanket off him. He shivered, obviously cold. Antonio put his arms around Lovino, to try and help keep him stay warm. The two walked back to the house, Antonio carrying Lovino since he didn't want to walk.

Antonio reached the back door to the Vargas's house, opening it, and setting Lovino down on the hardwood floor. "Where's Feliciano?" Antonio asked Lovino.

"With Ludwig, he said, and plopped down onto the couch, but something on his neck caught Antonio's eye. It was a silver chain, disappearing into his shirt. Antonio grabbed it, only to see it was the locket he had given Lovino. But Antonio hadn't seen it last night, so how was it there?

"It was in my pants pocket. I put it on this morning, when you weren't looking," Lovino explained. "I've worn it every day you were gone, bastard." He opened it, and sure enough, Antonio could see Bella's and his photos in it. Antonio realized the locket meant a lot to Lovino, since while Antonio was in Spain, it was the only thing Lovino could remember him by. Lovino carried the sadness of losing two lovers around his neck.

Antonio hugged Lovino, kissing his cheek. All of a sudden, Antonio realized something. He had nowhere to live. His apartment had surely gone up for rent again by now. "Lovi, I don't have anywhere to live!"

Lovino rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You can stay here, bastard."

"But you don't have a guest bedroom!"

Lovino blushed. "I guess you'll just stay in my room," he muttered. "Christmas is in five days, so you can stay until then, longer if you have to. Idiot."

Antonio's face lit up. "Christmas! I forgot all about it! Oohh, Lovi; we should go and buy a Christmas tree!"

After a short argument, Antonio persuaded Lovino to come with him to buy one, and now they were standing in the Christmas tree lot. Lovino wanted a tiny, Charlie Brown style tree, but Antonio had his way, they'd bring home a giant tree that probably belonged in a forest. Awhile later, the two finally decided on a six foot tall one, not too bushy, and not too skimpy.

Antonio shoved the tree into the back, climbing into the driver's seat, and driving Lovino home. One thought weighed on his mind-what was he going to get Lovino for Christmas? He wanted to get his boyfriend the perfect gift, but his mind came up blank. Worse, he had to decide in the next five days. He already knew what he'd get Feliciano, but when he thought about Lovino, his mind went blank.

Soon, the pair was home, and the tree was set up in the living room. "Should we decorate it?" Antonio asked excitedly.

"We have to wait until Feliciano gets home!" Lovino snapped at him. "We always decorate the tree together, along with that stoic German."

"Then let's play in the snow, while we wait for him!"

"What?!"

"You heard me! We can make snowmen, have a snowball fight, or go sledding!"

"...Fine."

Antonio threw his coat on, making sure Lovino was bundled up as well. He burrowed Feliciano's gloves, then dragged Lovino out the door. Lovino wanted to have a snowball fight, so they both built snow forts.

A snowball whizzed by Antonio's ear, missing him by only an inch. He grabbed one of his snowballs, then threw it in Lovino's direction. He heard a thump and some swearing, signaling the snowball hit its target. Before he could even laugh, a snowball hit Antonio square in the face. "Lovi, you're good!" he exclaimed, scraping the snow off his face.

"Shut up, bastardo!"

Antonio and Lovino continued to battle for a couple of hours, until both of them were soaked all over. "Should we go inside?" Antonio asked tiredly.

"Si."

Antonio grabbed Lovino's hand, provoking a blush from the brunette. They walked through the snow, hand in hand, both enjoying the peaceful moment. Feliciano's car was parked outside, and therefore, Antonio knew he was inside. Lovino and Antonio entered the house, to be greeted by a silent Ludwig, and a hyper Feliciano.

"You guys have snow all over you, ve!"

Antonio nodded, brushing himself off. He wanted to brush off Lovino's butt as well, but knew it would only end in a slap.

Gilbert and Francis were standing behind Ludwig, and when they saw Antonio, they ran over with a grin on their faces. Francis and Gilbert had been able to keep in contact with Antonio while he was in Spain, but it was great to see them none the less.

Antonio embraced Gilbert, laughing happily. "Gilbert! It's so good to see you! You too, Francis!" he said, hugging the Frenchman as well.

Francis smirked. "We heard you and Lovino spent the night in the treehouse. Have fun?"

Antonio nodded quickly with a smile on his face, resulting in a pinch from Lovino, while Gilbert and Francis cracked up. "Antonio got some!" Gilbert cried gleefully, wiping a tear from his eye. Lovino blushed redder and redder, Feliciano seemed slightly confused, and Ludwig stood there awkwardly.

After Gilbert and Francis finished laughing at Antonio's expense, the group moved into the living room to decorate the tree.

Lovino and Feliciano had a lot of ornaments, accumulated from many years, along with family heirlooms. The six began to string up the garland, a shiny string of crystals. Next, it was time to put the ornaments up. Lovino, Feliciano, and Prussia worked on the lower branches, while Antonio, Ludwig, and Francis strung up the ornaments on the higher branches, because they were the tallest. Following an hour of hard work, the tree was done save one detail.

"Don't you have an angel or a star?" Antonio questioned, noting the top of the tree was bare.

Feliciano reached into one of the boxes, and took out a tomato topper. Antonio grinned; of all the different toppers he had seen, this was the best. He took it from Feliciano's outstretched hand, and plopped it on the tip-top of the tree.

Antonio stepped back, admiring the tree. The tree twinkled in the afternoon light, and all the ornaments were so pretty, each one unique.

"I can't wait to see it at night!" Feliciano said.

"Kesesesese! It looks great, Feli!"

"Oui. That reminds me-Arthur's waiting for me at home. Au revoir."

"Bye!" Antonio replied, waving goodbye to Francis as he walked out the door.

Gilbert and his brother left soon after, leaving Lovino, Feliciano, and Antonio alone. Feliciano went into the kitchen, making pasta for dinner. Antonio and Lovino retired to Lovino's room, where they watched _The Ellen Show. _Antonio loved Ellen, with her humor, her kindness, and the interesting guests she always hosted. The show soon ended, so Antonio and Lovino decided to play card games until Feliciano finished dinner.

Feliciano's cheery voice traveled through the house. "Antonio! Lovino! My pasta is ready!"

Antonio placed his cards on the bed, walking out the door and into the dining room. Lovino followed suit, sitting next to Antonio. The three of them ate their delicious dinner, talking about everything and nothing. At the end of dinner, Feliciano cleared off the plates, then went into his room to sleep.

Lovino led Antonio into his room, sitting on the bed, and picking up a book. "Can I have a book?" Antonio asked him, looking over the bookshelf.

Lovino nodded, and Antonio chose a book about a Spanish pirate. He crawled under the covers next to Lovino, and Lovino rested his head on Antonio's chest. They read peacefully and silent for about an hour, but then Lovino yawned.

"Let's go to bed," Antonio offered, feeling sleepy under the heavy quilt. Lovino agreed, and he leaned over and shut off the lamp.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo Oo

Twenty blocks away from the Vargas's house, Antonio knew exactly what he was going to get Lovino for Christmas. He had gone to the grocery store to pick up tomatoes, but took a little walk afterwards. While he was walking around the neighborhood, he had found it. It was a little yellow cottage, with a white picket fence, a tomato garden, came fully furnished, and with a view overlooking the city.

It was perfect.

Antonio knew it would cost a lot of money. But he had saved up from his waiter job in Spain, and he had just enough cash to make and offer on the house. Feliciano also promised his job back, so he would be able to make the monthly mortgage.

He presented an offer, and the owners accepted it, and gave him a key. Antonio wrapped the key up in an attractive little package, and placed it under the tree.

Christmas approached sooner and sooner, and the tree filled up with more presents. Before Antonio knew it, Christmas Eve night was happening.

The tree looked even better than it did before. The multi colored lights hit the ornaments, reflecting off of them in a flash of color. Feliciano cooked his favorite pasta dish, and invited Ludwig, Gilbert, Elizaveta, Arthur, and Francis over. They arrived in little groups, presenting small gifts for everyone, and admiring the decorating Feliciano had done. They ate the festive dinner, chatting about Vargas, (The company was doing better than ever) Feliciano's and Ludwig's recent engagement, (Much to Lovino's dismay) and Antonio's time in Spain. After dinner, they played Charades, and watched a holiday movie. Lovino fell asleep on Antonio's shoulder during the film, worn out by helping Feliciano make dinner.

While the credits rolled, Antonio carried Lovino to his bedroom. He set Lovino down on the bed, then went to sleep himself.

The next morning, Antonio woke up early, excited to see Lovino's reaction to what Antonio got him. "Lovi, wake up! It's Christmas!"

Lovino opened his eyes. "Morning, bastard."

There was a knock at their door, and Antonio opened it to see Feliciano bouncing there. "Come on, ve!"

The three walked downstairs, to where the tree was. Antonio demanded Lovino open his present last. He handed Feliciano the cookbook he had bought him, and Feliciano hugged him, saying, "Thanks, Tony!"

Lovino handed Antonio a package, mumbling, "This is for you."

Antonio opened it, smiling, and gasped when he saw what was inside. Lovino had bought him a brand-new set of high quality paints, along with several canvases. He kissed Lovino. "It's perfect, mi tomato." Lovino flushed bright red once more.

Feliciano gave Antonio a cute little tomato plushie, and Lovino gave Feliciano a collar for his cat, Brownie. Lovino received an Italian soccer jersey from Feliciano, and now it was time for Antonio to give Lovino his present.

Antonio handed Lovino the box, smiling sweetly. Lovino opened it, confusion on his face. "What's the key for?" he demanded.

"How about we take a drive?" Antonio suggested. Lovino suspiciously agreed, since he wanted to see what the key went to.

Antonio drove to the house he had bought, and parked it outside. "Why don't you see if the key fits in the door?" he said.

Tears filled Lovino's eyes as he realized what Antonio had done. "You damn bastard," he said, pressing his face into Antonio's shoulder. "You're too good to me."

Antonio pried Lovino off him, beaming. "Are you going to go in?" he asked.

Lovino nodded, letting Antonio lead him to the front door. He turned the key in the lock, entering their new house. He stood in the front foyer, gaping at the house. "It's beautiful," he said, tracing his fingers down the Spanish arch. Antonio led him on a tour around the house, showing Lovino the bedroom, office, basement, living room, and kitchen. Lovino soaked up every last detail. Antonio took him to the patio, showing him the fire pit and the view.

The two spent a the at their new house, enjoying each other's company. Lovino was overjoyed at his present, and was already planning to move in. "We can move in tomorrow!" he told Antonio as they sat by the fire pit outside.

"Si!" Antonio said, running his fingers through Lovino's hair. Noticing the curl, he pulled it. "Hey, this hair never goes down."

Lovino instantly blushed. "Don't touch that!" he sputtered, his eyes glazing over.

Antonio raised an eyebrow. "Why not? It's just a hair, Lovino."

Lovino blushed an even deeper red. "It's my erotic zone," he whispered, obviously humiliated.

Antonio chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind," he said. "It could come in handy at a later date."

"...Kinky bastard," Lovino said, twirling his locket around on his finger.

Antonio kissed the top of his head, careful not to kiss the curl, even though he wanted to. "When will we go back to Feli's?"

"In a few minutes," Lovino answered, throwing a piece of wood into the fire, and watching the heat engulf it. The sun had set again, and the only thing that lit up Lovino was the orange light coming from the fire. It made it so it looked as it his hair was red, and his eyes were brown.

Antonio breathed onto Lovino's cheek, watching his breath freeze. "Okay. I have a secret for you."

"Hmm, what?"

"I love you."

Lovino sharply inhaled, not expecting Antonio to say that. Now that he thought about it, though, their "I love you's" were long overdue. Long overdue by two years. "I love you, too." He reached up onto his neck, and unhooked the locket. "I don't need this anymore, because I know now you'll be with me forever. And I can let Bella go."

Antonio took the locket from Lovino's hands, and threw it into the fire. "No more sadness," he agreed, watching the metal shimmer in the heat.

The fire burned down, and Antonio and Lovino walked to the car. They drove back to Feliciano's, where they knew Feliciano had Christmas dinner ready for them and Ludwig.

The smell of good, hearty cooking hit Antonio's nose as he walked in. Feliciano ran up to them, tilting his head. "Where were you guys?"

"The bastard bought me a house," Lovino explained, throwing his coat on a chair, and proceeding to sit in said chair.

Feliciano's eyes widened. "A house? Wow! You and Tony can move in together!"

"That was our plan, yes," Antonio told the cheery Italian, smiling at Lovino. "Lovi's really excited."

Lovino pouted. "Maybe I am."

Ludwig walked into the room, dusting his hands off. "Antonio bought a house?"

"Si, I did!" Antonio informed Ludwig, grinning wildly. "And Lovino really likes it! I showed him the garden, and the kitchen, and the attic..." he listed off things that Lovino had liked about the house. "...And the den!"

"That's nice of you," Ludwig said, untying his apron. "Feliciano and I are done making dinner now."

The three ate dinner for the second time in two days, but this time the conversation was about Antonio's and Lovino's house. Feliciano wanted to know about every last detail, and Ludwig was curious as well.

As Lovino and Antonio relaxed in their room, Lovino confided in something to Antonio. "This was the most amazing Christmas ever."

"Si. It was."

**A/N: Okay, you guys have been amazing. I've gotten only positive feedback on any of my stories, and I am eternally grateful for that. I've decided that, if I get twenty reviews, I will give the twentieth reviewer a gift fic, about anything, as long as it's not smut. I still don't write smut, you perverts. **

**Oh, if you're wondering, the teenage girl in front of Feliciano's house in the previous chapter is, in fact, me. I couldn't leave myself out of my own story, could I?**

**I think this story is drawing to a close. I have a few more ideas, but anything else beyond this point will probably be fluff, unless I decide to be mean and angst-ish. Be warned, fluff haters!**


	9. Chapter 9

Antonio had waited five years for this. Five years, to be able to finally do this, to pour his heart out, and change his future forever.

This was going to alter everything. It was the question, the question that every man or woman wants to ask or be asked in their life.

He was going to propose to Lovino.

If Lovino said no, Antonio would be crushed. He was crazily in love with Lovino, and if Lovino denied him, Antonio would be forever crushed. The idea of what would of happened if Lovino said yes would haunt him for the rest of his life.

But Antonio was pretty sure Lovino would say yes. It had been five years since the pair had met, and Lovino had never told Antonio he didn't love him or didn't want spend the rest of his life with him, so Antonio didn't think he'd start now.

The front door creaked open, breaking Antonio away from his thoughts. He glanced at the clock. 8:00 p.m. It was now or never.

Lovino walked in, a frown on his face. "Oy, bastardo."

"Hi, Lovi!" Antonio chirped, his hands shaking. "How about we take a walk to the park?"

Lovino sighed. "Why?"

"Because I feel like it!"

"...Okay, whatever."

Antonio led Lovino out the door, the two walking to the park in comfortable silence. They walked onto the wooden bridge that spanned the moonlit creek, the crickets chirping under the stars.

Antonio took a deep breath, turning to face Lovino. "I love you."

Lovino blinked. "I know."

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"I know, bastard."

Antonio dropped to one knee, taking out the little velvet box. Lovino covered his mouth with his hand, fully aware of what Antonio was doing.

"Ever since I laid eyes on you, I knew you were the one. People say love at first sight doesn't exist, but for me it did. And each passing year, month, week, day, hour, minute, and second I fall in love with you more and more. You're my soulmate, Lovino. So, I have one question for you. Will you marry me?"

Lovino dropped to his knees next to Antonio, hugging him. Antonio tangled his fingers in Lovino's hair, breathing in his scent.

"Fuck yes," Lovino whispered. "Yes, I'll marry you, Antonio."

Antonio grinned, ecstatic that Lovino said yes. "I'm a very happy man now," he told Lovino, as he kissed his nose.

Lovino blushed, kissing Antonio on the mouth instead, the two interlocked. They were going to grow old together, have kids maybe. Who knew? The two had all the time in the world. They had a house, perfect jobs, plenty of money, and most importantly, each other and their love. Antonio decided right then and there, he didn't have any regrets in his life. And he never would.

_I love you._

**A/N: This fic is finally over, isn't it? I'm sorta sad to see it done, but I'm happy I can focus more on my other, darker fic. I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing it. Leave me one last review, please?**


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